Impractical Magic: Voodoo
by lwbush
Summary: Story seven in the series. A shipboard accident brings our heroes to an island where strange things are happening.


Voodoo

By Lori Bush

Part Seven of the Impractical Magic series

Disclaimer: _Xena: Warrior Princess_, Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, and all other characters who have appeared in either series, together with the names, titles and backstories are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. Certain themes and details in this series are borrowed from Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series of books. Various other characters were created by the author for use in this fiction.

Violence: No 

Sex: Nope. 

Rating: Probably PG-13. There are some adult concepts, more in other stories that this one. I'll just say that to remain consistent. 

Notes: At long last, this is story number seven in the never-ending series, the first being "The Gift That Keeps On Giving", and the second "Ooops, I Did It Again..." - followed by "Spelling Lessons" and "Every Witch Way" and "School Daze".The most recent previous story to this was "Something Wicked This Way Comes," and you will be totally confused if you try to read this without reading all the others first. Trust me – this is so unbelievably AU, you'll be lost without the background they give.

For those of you who have been waiting patiently for this – thank you. For those who have waited less than patiently, thank you, too. It's nice to have an eager audience. I have long felt that this was the weakest link in this chain of stories, but I hope y'all like it nonetheless.

Thank you, Rebecca Littlehales, for the wonderful beta, and all your general friendship and encouragement. Thanks to the gang (you know who you are) who pre-read this and the others – your comments are invaluable.

~**~

_Go away._

_ _

_I can't, or believe me, I would._

_ _

_Tell me again, is this supposed to be a GOOD thing, us being able to hear each other's thoughts like this?_

_ _

_Whoever said it was, didn't have to do it with YOU._

_ _

"JOXER!" Gabrielle exclaimed aloud.

"Well," the wizard argued, "all you do is complain about my thoughts, either out loud or in your mind. I can think of things I'd rather hear."

"And I can think of more interesting things than your constant internal commentary on everything you see or do. Do you ever shut up, mentally OR physically?"

"Whoa," Xena said as she stepped between her two friends, "to your corners, guys." The Warrior Princess blew her breath out loudly. Ever since Joxer and Gabrielle bonded during the fight with the beings known only as Them, they'd been wandering around inside each other's heads, and neither one was close to ready for such a large amount of forced togetherness. Xena was surer than she had ever been before that they cared an awful lot about each other. Any other two people who were as irritated by each other as these two were would have drawn blood by now.

When they had first come to after the battle, they were wrapped in each other's arms and happy just to be alive. The first surprise had come when Gabrielle announced, "I might have been, if you hadn't given me some of your power."

Xena looked at the bard and with eloquence asked, "Huh?"

"I was just responding to Joxer."

"Gabrielle, he didn't say anything."

"Yes, he did," the bard said petulantly. "You just weren't listening. I distinctly heard him say he was glad I hadn't been killed in the battle. You do that all the time, Xena, you -"

"Uh, Gabs," Joxer interrupted, "I really didn't say anything. Not out loud, anyway."

"You did too, I heard you." Her expression dared him to contradict her again.

Mother Wigglewort smiled gently. "You'll both be hearing a lot from each other for a while. The Bond has to be pretty strong before you can control it." She turned to the Warrior Princess and snickered, whispering, "It's one of the reasons I think it only forms after marriage. It can get pretty annoying for people who don't already _really_ like each other."

The tall woman raised an eyebrow. "This should be interesting."

Interesting – what had that Chin curse said? May you live an _interesting_ life? Well, her life had indeed been _that_ since the day Joxer inherited his magical abilities from the departed wizard, Oswald. But now, it was nearly maniacal.

For one thing, it had been a total shock to Gabrielle to find out that Joxer had thought she wanted him to marry Hellena. She had found _that_ thought in his head, along with the fact that he really was head over heels in love with the bard herself, and had been for some time. Joxer was terribly uncomfortable with the idea that the object of his affections now had easy access to his most closely held secrets, including the one about his feelings for her. He tried to see her feelings for him, but came up with a muddy and clouded image every time, which did little to reassure him. And he couldn't find a clear motive for her becoming a witch, either. He was a little irritated to discover that Xena had told the Bard about his deep devotion to her way back when they were on the ship coming to Britannia from Greece, and she had promptly filed the information in a dark and inaccessible corner of her mind, never directly dealing with it again.

Not only that, but for the first few weeks, Mother W had assured them, physical proximity was necessary as well. The first night after they had bonded, both the blonde witch and the tall wizard had refused to sleep in the same room. Joxer had returned to his dorm, and Gabrielle to the quarters at the Boulder's Drop Inn that she and Xena had been sharing for the past several months. Mother W was called to the Academy in the morning to help the staff figure out why the Greek student couldn't be roused from his bed, while the bard was violently ill until he was carried over to her room. Touching each other speeded the recovery, and arrangements were quickly made for Joxer to move into the Inn with his friends. Both were already uneasy enough with this new intimacy, however, and quickly agreed he could stay on a pallet on the floor.

Finally, Gabrielle had come to Xena to ask her if they could leave and go back to Greece. "I miss my family, Xena, and this whole thing with Joxer and I would be easier to handle if we were home. He's getting a degree with honors and the final ceremony is tomorrow, so could we just _leave_ now?"

Xena studied her best friend. She had finally condescended to wear the traditional witches' black, but cut into an outfit just like her former green top and brown skirt. She even wore a black hair band. She had made some peace with her staff as well, although the thing was as dumb as, well, a stick. She managed to convince it to do nothing without her permission, and she pretty much used it now as she had in the past, for walking and defense.

The Warrior Princess had to admit, she too was missing the hills of Greece and the meager comforts of home. Her decision was all but sealed when the bard chimed in, "And Joxer wants to go home, too."

He was back at the Academy when she said this, finishing up testing and cleaning out his room before his graduation. Xena found it somewhat unsettling that there was another set of ears listening anytime she and Gabrielle talked, now. "Can't you two turn that thing off yet?" she grumbled mildly. Her companion merely rolled her eyes. Then her gaze grew distant.

"I know you heard that," she answered the voice in her head testily. "I don't take it back." She listened again, frowning. "Fine. Be that way."

The look of exasperation on the blonde's face faded into regret. "Aw, Xena, I feel so bad. He's in the middle of his tests and all, and yet he can't help hearing everything I think or say. He needs to concentrate, and I'm not helping at all. It's a good thing that stuff comes so easy to him, or he'd be failing everything. I know I would, if someone was always interrupting my thoughts." She smiled distantly, and the warrioress had the feeling the bard was receiving a message of appreciation. Then she looked pleadingly across the table. "Please, can't we go home?"

So here they were, on a boat heading back to Greece. She had arranged them to have two cabins, although she hadn't told either of the pair.The way they both slept, Xena was able to find an excuse to stay up later than they did every night, go to her own room, and convince them she had wakened and left their shared cabin before they had. The Warrior Princess wasn't totally sure what to expect with this bonding business, and felt the slightest bit uncomfortable at possibility of waking up one night and witnessing the next stage of the process, whatever that might be. She suspected Joxer might know about her deception, but then again, if he did, Gabrielle would too, so maybe not.

And now she stood between them, wondering how things had gotten this bad. She had gone into the room one night, realizing that she had left her chakram on "her bed" earlier that day, and seen that the witch and the wizard had, in their sleep, reached out for one another across the space that separated their beds and clasped hands. The peace on their faces had been in stark contrast to the turmoil that now filled their daily lives. It was as if all their barriers needed to be forgotten for them to even get back to the barely comfortable relationship they had shared before they left Greece. They had made giant strides backwards, through an experience that was supposed to bring together two people in love. If things didn't get any better soon, someone was going to get killed. Xena would see to it. 

All thoughts and arguments ended with the explosion. Fire erupted from the deck in a huge geyser, enveloping the mainsail in an instant. Later, as they counted survivors and compared notes, it was agreed that the cook must have been careless with the great stove in the mess, and his conspicuous absence was testimony to the price he had paid for his error.

The fire spread rapidly from sail to sail, and the masts crackled and blackened as it went. Gabrielle wondered how a fire could be so hard to put out, even when you're surrounded by water. She and Joxer were organizing a bucket brigade. The ability to talk inside each other's brains made communication much easier over the yells of sailors and the shrieking of falling timbers. More than one sailor lost his life due to a lack of attention as a mast gave way. Another large explosion indicated that the cook's store of oil had met its end, as had the men standing over that storeroom.

Finally, the blaze was subdued. The crew was reduced to less than half its original number, and the group had not been large to begin with. Perhaps ten men had survived the inferno, and they gathered around Xena. In the absence of the captain, she appeared to be their de facto leader. Subconsciously aware of the need to rebuild their own power, a sooty witch and wizard clung together near the edge of the gathered survivors.

Xena raised her voice so she was sure all could hear. "Does any one have any idea of where we might be?"

"Aye," a bedraggled man offered, "We be yust west of Hispania, mi'lady." A few heads nodded in agreement, and the fellow went on. "We'da be turnin' east soon ifin we could turn. We might best be goin' onta try an' drift inta Marrakech, ma'am."

The Warrior Princess thought out loud. "We do still have rudder control, but it's of little good without sails. Joxer," she called, "Can you conjure up sails for this thing?"

The wizard looked doubtful, but pulled Gabrielle closer to soak up the power their bond provided, then concentrated as hard as he could. A bit of white fabric about three feet square materialized. The blonde in his arms snorted. "Well, that'll get us far. If you want to produce a whole sail at that rate, we should just about starve to death before we have enough cloth to get us anywhere."

Joxer released his hold on her as if burned, and Xena saw the wash of regret flow over Gabrielle's face. "Even I have my limits," the young man said, pouting. He brightened slightly. "But we won't starve. Food I can do." The Warrior Princess heard her stomach grumble as the smell of a full, fresh meal wafted over the deck. The impromptu crew meeting dissolved as the men hurried to the spread, fear and adrenaline having slackened slightly into hunger. A few varied expressions danced across the faces of the couple, and Xena finally decided they'd made peace again in their silent communications.

~**~

Xena ran a tired hand through her hair as she studied again the blackened scrap of navigational chart they had found. Joxer had conjured her an oil lamp, and she sat at the desk in the captain's quarters as her two friends leaned over her shoulder.

"Knowing where we should have been when the explosion happened, and from the position of the stars now, the best I can tell is that we're right about _here_." She plopped a finger in the middle of what was a vast expanse of water. "Nothing for miles."

Joxer pointed. "What's that?" After a moments silence, he said, "It is _not_ just a burned spot! It looks like the edge of a chain of islands." He glared at the bard, who shrugged. 

Xena looked closer. "I think he's right, Gabrielle. I've heard the stories of the Fortunate Islands on the western edge of the world, and that would be about where they are." Joxer looked smug, and the blonde slapped his shoulder. He poked her back. She retaliated. "Would you two please grow up? Anyhow," she continued after they lapsed into shamed stillness, "We appear to be heading directly that way. I've never heard anything about the people who live there or what they might be like, but at least it's land. Maybe we can fix the sails and get back underway from there." She looked at the pair, who appeared dead on their feet. "You two go to bed. I'm going to stay in here tonight so the crew can get to me easily if they need me without disturbing you." At least now she could cease the charade of the three of them sharing their cabin. "Go on." They trudged obediently out of the captain's quarters. "And don't kill each other before morning," Xena called after them.

~**~

"Land HO!" 

The cry of the lookout roused Xena from a strange dream of puppies and flying fish fighting with the armies of Corinth. She needed to stop eating magic food right before bedtime. Shaking her head to clear it, she stepped up into the sunshine. Sure enough, they were slowly but steadily drifting towards what appeared to be a tree-covered island. Before long, a sleepy-eyed wizard emerged from below decks. 

She smiled at him, pointing. "You were right."

Joxer ran his fingers through his mussed hair, calming it only a bit. "I wish Gabby was awake to hear that." He grinned. "I guess she is. Awake enough to make a smart comment about it, anyway." His face grew serious. "I feel funny though, Xena. Weak, somehow. Not physically, exactly, but… I can't really explain," he finished helplessly. He shrugged diffidently. "Maybe I should just do breakfast." He concentrated, and soon a very small batch of food appeared.

"You think you overfed us last night, so you're cutting back?" asked a sailor nearby, jokingly.

The wizard looked pained. "No," he mused, "That's all I could do."

Xena frowned in concern. Maybe the bonding and then all the other excitement had taken more out of Joxer than she suspected. "Just eat light," she warned the men. She didn't want to wear him down, since they might need his powers more once they reached the island. Then Gabrielle came up from below, and her thoughts turned to planning for the trip ashore.

Finally, they were close enough to shore to anchor the ship and throw a small boat over the side. It was a good thing, too, because Joxer seemed preoccupied, and Gabrielle had begun to turn an interesting shade of green. The entire group climbed into the skiff, and soon they were on the beach of the beautiful island. They pulled the boat up on the sand, and Xena began to assign the men jobs. Her friends seemed to be carrying on one of their silent exchanges, and she waited until it seemed over to speak to them."Joxer, you need to go find a source of fresh water for us. Gabrielle, scout for any inhabitants – carefully. You don't need to find out they're unfriendly the hard way. Meet me back here when you're done. I'll be constructing a shelter for us with some of the crew."

They headed off in different directions into the woods, and Xena occupied herself with the construction. A considerable amount of work was completed before the lanky wizard burst from the underbrush with panic on his face. "Xena, Gabby's in trouble and I can't use my powers!"

~**~

Gabrielle was used to pretty much doing as Xena told her, and so was Joxer, so they obediently set out into the verdant growth. She could hear Joxer analyzing and examining everything he saw as he went along. _Gabby, did you notice the orange flowers? Don't they look like tongues of fire?_

_ _

_If you don't mind, Joxer, I don't want anything to remind me of fire right now. If it weren't for that, we'd be almost home now._

_ _

_Well, it's not MY fault,_ he responded with some irritation.

_For ONCE, _she replied snippily. His incoherent growling was his only reply. She knew he could hear her, but she couldn't help but wonder what she had done to be cursed this way. She had decided Joxer was likable enough, recently, but that was before he became her mental roommate. Although, she conceded, his thoughts were far more intelligent than she would have suspected them to be.

_Thanks a lot_, he retorted sulkily.

She concentrated on not thinking about anything for a while. 

The print took her by surprise. It was large, and made by a bare human foot. She studied it for a moment, then looked ahead for the trail. The enormous snake had already begun to curl around her before she was even aware of it. She screamed, and it wrapped her tightly in its coils.

Joxer felt Gabby blank out, mentally. Even when she was trying not to think, she was thinking about not thinking. Suddenly, it was like she wasn't there anymore, and he stopped stock-still. For days, he had wished he could get her out of his head, and now that she was, it terrified him. 

He summoned his powers and commanded himself to go to her. Opening his eyes, he saw he hadn't moved. He searched his brain and dug up a locator spell from his studies. He quoted it word for word. Nothing. He pointed at a tree, and in desperation told it to go away. The tree remained. Joxer had tears in his eyes – Gabby was in trouble, and he was useless. He grasped his familiar, and realized that the spark that connected him to his staff was gone, and may have been so for quite a while. He released the stick and it fell woodenly to the ground. It was lifeless. He was a wizard no longer. He snatched up his staff and began to run wildly through the brush back to where Xena remained.

~**~

Gabrielle regained consciousness to find herself wrapped securely in the coils of the snake, but in a cave, rather than the spot in the woods where she had been taken. "Ghoood," a strangely accented voice breathed in her ear, "Yhou're bahck." With alarm, she realized the snake had been speaking to her.

Before she could speak, the snake dissipated into smoke and reformed into the shape of a tall, muscular dark-skinned man. She could still feel the coils keeping her immobile, even though she could see nothing holding her. 

"Yhou khan't move," he said in that musical voice of his, "The ssspirit of the ssssnake remainsss." He eyed her with keen appreciation, and she recoiled from the frank lust in his gaze. "Ohh, yesss," he chanted, "Yhou'll be perfect. Yhou're gholden to gho with my dahrknesss, dhelicate where I ahm ssstrohng. At lahssst, I have found my Queen." His hypnotic singsong almost lulled Gabrielle into his spell, but she blinked and fought back.

"Who are you?" the bard demanded hotly.

He laughed, filled with joy. "Ohh, my new Queen, sssuch ssspirit! Yhou indeed whill be sssuitable." She scowled at him, but he ignored her and blithely continued. "I ahm Philippe ahnd I rhule thiss play-sse." His hiss was that of the snake, and she shuddered in her invisible bonds. He snapped his fingers. "My ssservhantsss." People emerged from what seemed like thin air, timidly surrounding her but with their attention fully on Philippe. He smiled magnanimously, and waved his hand. "Yhou may view yhour new Queen, my people."As one they turned, looking at Gabrielle with curiosity and fear. She couldn't bring herself to smile, although she thought she should.

They moved uncertainly away in clumps, a few going to Philippe and receiving his orders. She took the opportunity to study her captor. He was taller than Joxer, with skin the color of the dark, rich soil her father would plow up in the spring. His black hair was long and fell over his shoulders in tightly curled locks. She had to admit, if he weren't so frightening, she would find him incredibly handsome.

_Hey!_ protested the familiar voice in her head.

She squeaked in surprise and then pursed her lips together, grateful no one seemed to have noticed her outburst. _You're still there!_

_ _

_Yeah,_ Joxer responded irately,_ so glad you remembered me, seeing you have such captivating company._

_ _

_Literally,_ she replied. _He's holding me captive. I can't get free._

_ _

Gabrielle heard Xena ask him a question. _Can you use your magic? _he repeated.

_I heard her ask. I haven't tried yet. _She mumbled a simple spell that would make the young woman standing near her sleepy. Not a yawn emerged. The girl never even blinked. _I don't think so._

_ _

_Neither can I._

_ _

_~**~_

Joxer looked at Xena in desperation. "She and I both are powerless. This guy has her captive – some good looking guy, by the way," he snarled in frustration. His expression faded into frustrated despair. "What do we do?"

The crewmen were still working on the shelter as the friends talked, so when something rustled in the underbrush, Xena pulled her sword and stood before Joxer. A teenaged girl emerged, looking frightened and hungry. "Please, don't hurt me," she pleaded. "My name is Khaline."

Joxer came forward. "Khaline, do you know the man who has our friend?" He was grateful that wherever this girl was from, she spoke a passable Anglo-Saxon. They had spent enough time in Britannia to master the tongue without his magical language skills being needed here. Even Gabrielle, who had no innate language ability, had managed to pick up Anglo during their stay there. He wasn't sure his skills would work, right now, and didn't need another reminder of his uselessness.

Khaline nodded quickly. "Philippe has her. He told us that the spirits were sending him a Golden Queen, and that she would be the final sign of his power. But your friend didn't look sent, she looked _stolen_. I have been trying to get my people free for a long time, and maybe you can help me, and we can free the Queen as well." Her large black eyes flew from Joxer to Xena and back again, pleading for aid.

Xena sheathed her sword. "Are there any more of your people you trust to help us fight?"

"A few," the young woman answered with relief. "Most fear Philippe and his power too much and remain his willing slaves. He came here a few years ago from a distant land he called Carribe. He was weak and nearly dead when he landed on our shores, but my people nursed him back to health. In return, he enslaved us and declared himself our King. He has figures of all the people, and can harm us by harming them. He killed my father by destroying the doll that wore his clothes." A tear ran down her olive cheek, but she wiped it away and straightened up. "He must pay for his cruelty to my people."

~**~

Gabrielle watched the people scurry to do Philippe's bidding. He had released her from the spirit of the snake when he'd taken a small doll dressed in a black outfit with a bit of blonde hair on its head and removed the cord wrapped around it. She could feel the coils unwinding as he freed the doll. She shook her arms to get the circulation back to speed. Her curiosity got the best of her. "How did you do that?"

He laughed again, and chills ran down her spine. "Yhou know of mahgic, I'm sshure, bhut not of voodoo? Thiss dholl is yhou," he said menacingly. "Whatch." He pulled the dolls arm up over its head, and Gabrielle's arm did the same unbidden. He twisted the figure at the waist, and her upper body turned uncomfortably. He turned the doll the other way, and the bard turned also.

"Stop," she begged breathlessly.

He grinned evilly, his white teeth bright against his dark face. "Yhou ssee, I ahm yhour mahsster now. Once I khan trussst yhou mohre, yhou too khan khontrol thesse people with mhe." He waved his hand, and on the ledge behind him, she saw dozens of the small dolls, each dressed differently, representing, she supposed, the people of the island. She stepped hesitantly towards the display.

A large shiny dome caught her eye. "What's this?" she asked.

He stepped to her side, and she tried not to wince as he put his arm around her waist. She could feel Joxer's blood boiling through their bond, and she tried to calm him. She knew he now understood Philippe's power, and that he and Xena were trying to formulate a plan. He didn't need anger clouding his judgment. The dark man spoke. "Thiss iss my, no, _our_ ihsland, jussst like the dholl iss yhoou. Thiss cohver holdss in my mahgic, and preventss ahll other mahgic from wohrking here. I alone khan rule asss lohng asss thiss cohver sstays in play-sse. It kheepsss me sstrohng and ahll othersss weak."

The bard wondered if They were somehow a part of this whole deal. Certainly, the dark magic reeked of Their style. Still, Mother W said that it was only in Britannia that They had been cast out, so this could be the product of Them or a similar malevolent being. She just knew that this man seeped evil from his very pores, and she would die before she would be a part of that.

_Never!_ the passionate voice in her head swore.

_No, Joxer, it's just a figure of speech, honest. But I won't let him rule me, or these people, any longer than I can help. Do you have a plan?_ Half her mind realized that she had been able to turn off what was going on back at the beach while she listened to Philippe. They were gaining more control. Of course, she knew that Joxer had been listening more closely to her thoughts than to Xena at that time, too, which helped.

_I think so. I need to fill Xena in on what you've just found out first, though._

_ _

~**~

Joxer hit the suspended dummy with his staff, feeling satisfaction in his ability to beat on something, somehow. He hadn't realized how dependant he had become on his powers, and still felt as if someone had cut off one of his limbs without them. Khaline and Xena were bent over a map of the island scratched in the damp sand, plotting a course to the caves that served as Philippe's power base. Xena had mocked up the dummy from spare clothing and stuffed it with leaves and fronds and ordered Joxer to practice with it. He was grateful that Gabrielle had trained him to use the staff this way when he had first received it, since it seemed to be the only thing he could do right now to be of any use.

He could tell the bard was asleep right now, conserving her energy for the fight that lay ahead. His thoughts turned with tenderness to her, as he could feel in her dreams the fear at her situation that she tried so hard to conceal while awake. He was beginning to cherish their connection far beyond its mere usefulness in this time of stress. It was the only reminder of how far he had come from the well-meaning fool he only now realized he had once been. It was amazing how finally having an ability he could trust had stripped him of the need to bluster and boast as he once did. He marveled that Xena and Gabs hadn't run him off long before he became a wizard.

_It's because you always had such a big heart that it shone through your idiocy._

_ _

_I thought you were sleeping._

_ _

_You were thinking so loud._

_ _

_Sorry._ He was sure she could sense his surprise at the affection in her voice, but he couldn't mask it. Could she ever care for him the way he did her?

Gabrielle found herself wondering the same thing at almost the same time. Xena had said before how much he loved her, but she'd chosen to believe the Warrior Princess was in error about that. The shock of finding out Joxer's feelings for her firsthand had been overrun by the discomfort of adjusting to their new bond, and she had almost deliberately ignored that revelation, as well. But now they had settled into the connection a bit more, and she was beginning to realize just how deep and true his feelings ran. She couldn't say she was entirely displeased. If nothing else, it _was_ flattering. And he certainly had grown so much from the clumsy dork who had tried to take her for Callisto. Even back then, there had been an innate decency that had kept him from hurting her, even when it meant he might himself be killed for his refusal to do so. There had always been more to him than met the eye.

She was aware of Philippe's entry into the alcove where she slept, and she filed those thoughts for further contemplation, if and when she had the time again. She heard Joxer swear he would free her so she would have the time, and she smiled.

"What ssehcret thoughtss amusse yhou, my Queen?"

Her eyes snapped open and all frivolous thought was pushed away. She must get free, and she must free these innocent people, before anything else was even worth contemplating.

~**~

Xena was loath to endanger the lives of the few remaining sailors, but more then one insisted on coming along with her and Joxer on the raid. She allowed those who had their own knives and were able to prove they knew how to use them to join the assault team. The others were assigned to wait outside the cave to escort the rescued islanders away, or behind to protect the shelter. She watched the powerless wizard shadow-sparring with his dear but currently lifeless staff, and she prayed to whatever gods might hear that the confidence her friend had gained from his abilities might stay with him now that they were gone. She added a request that the resolution of this crisis might give him back the skills that were now so much a part of him, along with the woman that both of them loved in their own way.

Xena called the men together. Following Khaline, the team began to wind its way into the mysterious jungle, towards whatever challenge awaited. Joxer mentally warned Gabrielle, and took up position at the rear of the column.

~**~

Gabrielle hated this part of Xena's plan, and she knew Joxer did too. But she had to distract Philippe, and the only way to do so right now was with her feminine wiles. His fascination with her could be his downfall, if properly played. She wandered into the main portion of the cave, where the dark man sat, watching some island girls dancing for his entertainment. She settled next to him, purposely sinking down quite close to his side. As she ran her finger down his muscled bicep, she found herself pretending it was Joxer's arm in order to make the act convincing. She felt the wizard both preen and sputter simultaneously in her mind, and carefully and deliberately she shut him out. After a few minutes she could hear him mentally screaming her name, panic overwhelming him. _GABRIELLE!_

_ _

_It's okay, Joxer. I need to concentrate. I'll be back._ She felt him calm slightly in his mind, and she shut the link back down.

Joxer caught his breath. She had gained the control to shut him out when she needed. The bond was complete and firmly in place now. And she had to pretend that madman was _him_ so she could find him attractive. Too much to think about right now. He planted his staff in the ground before him and resumed following the rest of the team. Every minute from now until they either won or died trying would be crucial.

~**~

Philippe was highly distracted. Gabrielle had run her nail up and down his arm for a fair length of time before she began to move her fingertips lightly across his back and neck. She couldn't speak for fear of calling the man "Joxer" and blowing her charade, but he didn't seem to want conversation, anyway. He was almost purring at the attention, and she prayed that the rescue team would hurry up before she had to escalate her act any further.

As if in answer to her prayer, a scuffle broke out as some of Philippe's servants tried to stop Xena and the men from entering. The big man jumped to his feet, and one look at Gabrielle's relieved face told him all he needed to know. "Yhou trihked me!" he growled. 

"You took me against my will, what did you expect?" she snarled back at him. Then she saw where he was heading, and threw herself at his ankles in an attempt to tackle and stop him. Falling short in her effort, her eyes grew wide as she saw him snatch up the doll that was her representation.

"If yhou do noht leahve now, sshe will die," he hissed at her rescuers. To demonstrate, he squeezed the doll in his hand. The bard writhed in agony on the ground. He loosened his grip and she gasped in relief. "I hold her life in my hands."

Joxer was just inside the entrance to the cave when the iron grip squeezed him, tearing his breath from his lungs and nearly popping his eyes from the sockets. Through willpower alone he remained on his feet. Then he saw Gabby, squirming in pain on the cave floor, and felt the same relief that showed on her face when the pain ceased. _The bond,_ he realized. _I'm starting to feel what she feels, too. _But she was able to shut him out earlier. Perhaps he could do the same. He had to be able to think to do what was needed. With regret, he concentrated, and closed his mind to his one true love. He knew she felt it from the look on her face, and then she caught his eye and smiled weakly, and it gave him courage, somehow.

Xena stepped forward. "You have no right to own these people. Power without responsibility for its consequences only destroys. Let them go – Gabrielle and the rest, too."

He laughed without humor. "Yhou khannot tell me what to dho. I ahlone khan give orders here. Ahfter all, no mahtter what yhou khlaim, I sstill have all the power." He shook the doll in his fist, and Gabrielle went into convulsions on the floor.

Xena pulled and threw her chakram at the dark man in one fluid motion, aiming at his wrist. She hoped the impact would be enough to cause him to drop the doll. The other large dark hand reached out, however, and plucked the spinning weapon effortlessly from the air. She drew her sword and faced his sneer.

"Yhou are like an ahnt againsst a grasshopper. My mahgihk isss strhonger than yhour godss, even. Yhou kahnnot admit yhou have losst until yhou die, khan yhou?"

The Warrior Princess had the full attention of the big man, and Joxer had taken advantage of the moment to slip over to where Gabby had shown him to look for the encased model of the island. He could only hope that his staff and his own strength would be enough to break the spell that held this whole place in the hand of this madman. Philippe whirled on him as he raised his arms overhead.

"NHOOOO!" the dark man protested, gripping the effigy of Gabrielle so it bent in two, as did the girl on the ground. Even through the block, Joxer could feel a twinge of the unbelievable pain that she was suffering, and he brought his staff down with all his might.

The case around the model broke with a musical tinkle, and fell in shards on the ground. Joxer felt a whoosh of energy fly past his head, and looking up, saw Xena bring the side of her blade hard against the big man's temple, causing him to crumple to the floor beside Gabrielle. She was pale, unmoving, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Xena fell to her knees beside the still body of her best friend, probing her abdomen. Joxer joined her, and she looked with anguish into his eyes. "Something's – _broken_ – inside her." Tears were gathering in the blue eyes. "I don't think I can fix it."

He leaned over and gathered the bard into his arms. "Gabby," he whispered as he stood, "you have to get better. I need you. I don't think I can live without you." He was too wrapped in his fear and love for the woman to notice his staff glowing as it lay beside the pieces of the former case.

The green eyes opened a second before she spoke in his mind. _I think you may be stuck with me._ She smiled, and he couldn't resist kissing those smiling lips in his joy. His pleasure increased when he realized his kiss had been returned with full enthusiasm. As they broke apart, they stared at each other, aware that the unspoken had finally been acknowledged. "Joxer," the bard said softly.

"Huh?" he responded, his head still spinning.

"Put me down."

Xena stared at her friends, all three unaware of the islanders and sailors watching until Khaline began to applaud and the rest joined in. The witch and wizard blushed at the same time, and Xena grinned knowingly.

"There's no _way_ I'm sharing a cabin with the two of you on the way home."

~**~


End file.
